Youthful light gauze
Suijia Mountain Foot
Summer weather is unpredictable; just moments ago the sky was clear and blue, but now a light drizzle is falling.
Jiang Yun, dressed in white, sat in a teahouse in town, drinking tea with an elegant demeanor, listening attentively to Wu Shanyue's passionate speech across from her.
"You've never heard of him? Legend has it that Gu Masters are ferocious, cold-blooded, and ruthless, releasing insects at the drop of a hat. He caused chaos in the martial world in just three months after entering it. He might even be the one who did the Jingzhou incident!" Wu Shanyue's expression was rich, filled with hatred for evil, her hand waving back and forth as if she wanted to kill him on the spot.
Jiang Yun smiled and said, "That makes sense."
"Why did you choose this place?" Sui Zhixu put away his umbrella and walked into the teahouse.
"Isn't it wonderful to listen to the wind and rain?"
I don't know if you really think Jiang Yun is a scholar or a literary figure, and that he has such refined tastes.
"Besides, you have a young man following you behind you." Jiang Yun raised his cup in a gesture of respect.
As Xu calmly sat down, behind him, grinning with his big teeth, who else could it be but Chu Shiguan?
Wu Shanyue leaned back and was slapped by Jiang Yun with her fan.
Two months ago, Jingzhou was in dire need of reconstruction. Just then, Jiannan's family had a wedding, so he rushed back to work. After finishing his work, he rushed back to work again.
Sui Zhixu felt that he was also energetic, moving between Jingzhou and Jiannan.
Sui Zhixu: "It might be a coincidence."
"Shanyue, go and buy some dry food." Jiang Yun chuckled and tossed Wu Shanyue a bag of money.
"OK!"
As Wushan Yue ran off, Jiang Yun suddenly straightened up and met her peach blossom eyes.
His mysterious and beautiful eyes drew her in, and circles of dizziness appeared before her eyes.
"Ah Ling...can you hear Ah Na (elder brother) speaking?"
Sui Zhixu's eyes gradually glazed over. "...I heard."
"When was the last time you swung the chessboard at me?"
"..." He remained silent for a long time, his empty peach blossom eyes occasionally flashing with a bright light, which would be extinguished in no time.
Jiang Yun tapped the table lightly. "You don't remember? Fine. You really have a terrible memory. Then let me ask you again, when did Thirteen Sister come to your side?"
"...Thirteenth Mother?"
Thirteenth mother?
Who is she? Do I know her?
A blurry figure appeared in my mind. She was charming and lively, dancing in the crowd in Miao costume. She twirled and danced, took the hand of the woman beside her, and said something with a smile, as if she wanted to pull her woman into the crowd to dance.
Looking up, even though he knew he couldn't make out the face, the scene was both familiar and strange.
"Ah!" she groaned, covering her head and bracing herself on the table with her hands and arms.
"Jiang Yun!"
Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow, her jade-like face softening with a gentle smile, "She really did lose her memory."
Sui Zhixu looked up and asked, "What do you mean?"
“I have observed your face many times, and it does not seem to bear any trace of secret arts. My eyes are naturally like this, and I taught you about it before. But you fainted the first time you saw me in Zao Village, and you have been avoiding my gaze ever since.”
"So I suspect that your skills are not as simple as just secret techniques. Let's just test them out today."
"Why are you so nervous? You've always been the one bullying me since we were little. Now you won't let me bully you?" Jiang Yun called over another pot of tea and poured it for her.
"Do you want to know who Thirteen Niang is? It will make you suffer so much that you'll feel like you're being torn apart."
He was smiling, a gloomy smile that made people uncomfortable.
Sui Zhixu laughed, "I was planning to send you travel expenses today, but it seems I don't need to."
She stood up, and Jiang Yun's smile vanished. She quickly grabbed her arm, "Wait, sister, I was just joking. We're like family, aren't we? You even sought me out to run away from your arranged marriage back then, which shows how much you trusted me, even though it didn't work out..."
As soon as Xu sat down, Jiang Yun gestured to her, and she slapped him across the face.
"Go to hell."
Jiang Yun withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "You hit so hard, you must have practiced a lot."
He then reached out to Sui Zhixu, rubbing his fingertips together, making his intention very clear.
As Xu impatiently handed him the money, Jiang Yun opened the purse, and the glittering gold sparkled in his eyes. He calmly closed it and stuffed it into his pocket.
“Sister, you are so righteous. I’ll be going now.” Jiang Yun caught a glimpse of Wu Shanyue’s figure and instantly appeared beside her, keeping her distance from Sui Zhixu.
"We'll talk about it next time we meet, young master!"
He won this game.
Countless eyes were on her, and some passersby recognized Sui Zhixu, surrounding her and praising her repeatedly.
Sui Zhixu gritted her teeth and forced a stiff smile at the newcomer.
In the end, it was Chu Shiguan who brought the person out.
As Xu squeezed through the crowd, slightly out of breath, he said, "Jiang Yun, you wait! 'Brother,' I'll make you a grandson next time."
"My lady, are you alright?" Chu Shiguan's eyes were clear and bright, filled with nothing but his wife in front of him.
Sui Zhixu waved his hand and said, "Thank you."
He smiled broadly, "It's good that you're alright."
When does my wife plan to return to Chang'an?
"In the next few days."
With the Jingzhou matter resolved, the two clan elders stepped down, and Sui He took the opportunity to appoint several people to reassess the various families.
Sui He has not been stationed in Jingzhou for many years. The most important thing in Jingzhou is stability. Once things are settled, it's time for him to go back.
Upon hearing this, Chu Shiguan was as happy as a puppy and excitedly said, "Then I'll go back too."
Sui Zhixu nodded. Father would definitely make a fuss when they got home, but that was Mother's problem.
That said, Yueling hasn't contacted her for a long time since she spoke to her through the water mirror in Zao Village.
"It's early July now, and it seems like it'll be Princess Chaoyang's birthday if we go back?"
"Ah? It seems so. Last year, Princess Sister-in-law didn't have a big celebration because of the Pei family's affairs. She should make up for it this year." Chu Shiguan was so happy that he almost didn't realize what Sui Zhixu was saying.
After planning Chaoyang's birthday gift, Sui Zhixu bid farewell to the Sui family and packed up to return to Chang'an.
After settling her affairs, Sui Chengyu decided to return to Chang'an. Before leaving, she specifically sought out Lady Cui to show off her power. Whenever Lady Cui got angry, Sui Chengyu would run behind Zhixu looking pitiful, as if Lady Cui had bullied her to death.
Chu Feng and Sui Li, unable to stay idle, parted ways and went their separate ways to pursue their own paths in the martial world.
Each of the guilds went about their business. Before leaving, Sui Zhixu glanced at Xiao He. Back when Cheng Zhijie got married, the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion refused to raise her, so Sui Zhixu arranged for Xiao He to be assigned to the Immortal Guild.
She was lucky enough not to be infected, and her cheeks were a little fuller. She saw Sui Zhixu sweetly calling her "sister" and saw that she got along well with the other children in Xianjialiao. Sui Zhixu was relieved and set off for Chang'an.
As they approached Chang'an, Sui Zhixu unexpectedly encountered numerous vassal kings, all of whom were blocking the city gates in the sweltering heat. None of the gate guards were to be trifled with.
What happened up ahead?
Dan Hong went out to gather information and returned, saying, "His Majesty summoned all the unmarried princes from the vassal states, whether they were princes of different surnames or of royal blood, and ordered them all to enter Chang'an. The two heirs were arguing over who could enter the city gate, and neither would give in."
Sui Zhixu lowered the carriage curtain, stepped out of the carriage, and gazed at the city gate.
Fan Lingzhang and Chu Shiguan walked up to her at the same time, their eyes meeting briefly before quickly looking away, as if they had seen something unclean.
"Look how hot you are." Fan Lingzhang took out a fan and fanned himself.
Chu Shiguan, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed. He never expected that Chu Shiguan would steal the spotlight again.
The carriage ahead was also unbearably hot, the sun was scorching, let alone the enclosed space of a carriage.
As he heard the complaints of the other women and men around him, Xu Zhixu could hear them.
Someone tried to stop the two arguing, but to no avail; instead, they were threatened and pushed down.
She asked, "Whose family is causing this trouble? And who received them this time?"
Danhong: "I learned that the Princess took the initiative to host the welcoming banquet at her residence, but this unexpected incident happened. I have already sent someone to inform the Princess."
“As for them…” Dan Hong whispered in Sui Zhixu’s ear.
Sui Zhixu raised an eyebrow, realizing that's why they argued.
The descendants of the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Linchuan. When the late emperor was establishing his dynasty, the Prince of Wei was a fierce general who fought on all sides. After the late emperor ascended the throne, he suppressed the Turks in the north and made many military achievements. The Prince of Linchuan was the younger brother of the late emperor and was deeply respected by the late emperor and the current emperor. Both families were of illustrious lineage, and the two proud and arrogant groups did not give way to each other.
His Majesty's search for the king clearly indicates that he intends to use them as hostages, allowing them to play the role of spoiled brats, which is undoubtedly the best course of action.
"Wait a minute, we're already at the city gate, we'll be able to get in eventually."
If she were to step forward to dissuade them, wouldn't that only allow them to put on an even better show? She wasn't going to get involved in such a matter.
Sui He also got off the carriage. She understood the pros and cons, but the carriage was really stuffy in July, and it wasn't much better outside.
Chu Shiguan gathered a large pile of leaves and, together with Fan Lingzhang, took turns fanning themselves.
Dan Hong: "?"
Sui Zhixu looked around and asked, "What are you doing? Did you two have a fight?"
On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the two of them were being sarcastic and refusing to give way to each other.
He always had to compete with her, and he would put all the Qiqiao fruits he made in front of her so she could taste them.
It's crooked and distorted; I really can't compliment it.
Some were burnt, some had too much honey, and some dough was probably not prepared properly, making it dry and hard.
Xu Du was curious about what kind of bet the two of them had made, a contest to see who could make fruit a little bit better.
The embroiderers from the fairy hut, who were said to "be clever when encountering spiders," ran over one by one to catch spiders for her.
Knowing that Xu couldn't see insects, for a moment, she wanted to throw them both to Jiang Yun or Jiang Li.
At 9:00 PM, Fan Lingzhang secretly slipped into Canghai Pavilion and begged her to go down the mountain to the temple to pray for blessings.
A red thread was wrapped around their fingers, and then Zhixu jumped up and hung the red ribbon he had prayed for on the tree.
The elegant calligraphy on the ribbon reads, "May we find one heart to share, and stay together until our hair turns white."
Zhuo Wenjun's "Ode to White Hair"
As Xu thought about why Zhuo Wenjun wrote poetry, a subtle feeling arose in her heart. She sat on the tree and looked down at his sparkling eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the long red thread. At first, she thought the red thread on her finger was too long, but now she thought it was not bad. It was long enough for her to reach from the tree.
Little Furong probably had nothing else on her mind; the meaning of this phrase is indeed very good: to stay together until old age.
She hung a red ribbon with her wishes written on it on a branch and looked at him with a smile.
On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, something finally happened that spared her from suffering.
Thinking of the Qixi Festival, and knowing that she would see two people together and take a detour, she decided to leave.
"I'll fan myself, you guys can play by yourselves." Sui Zhixu took the fan from Fan Lingzhang and walked away from them to Sui He's side.
"Young Master Chu is truly confident in himself; he's like a persistent ghost." After the person left, Fan Lingzhang's face darkened, his expression displeased.
"I have never heard of any marriage agreement between Lady Sui and Master Fan. I wonder where Master Fan gets his position?" Chu Shiguan retorted, and the two began to clash.
Just then, Xu turned around and saw what was happening. He quickly went back so that they would never see each other again.
"Hey you! Come here and tell me, who's right!"
Before Sui Zhixu could even reach Sui He's side, she was surrounded by gazes from all around her. She looked up and met the face of the Prince of Wei.
"...You, what are you looking at! I'm talking to you." The Crown Prince of Wei shouted at her, his cheeks flushed.
"Me, the judge?" Su Zhixu's peach blossom eyes flashed with doubt. Her?
“Your Highness has chosen the wrong person. Perhaps we can send someone to the Dali Temple.”
"It's just a few words, we don't need them to say anything."
Sui Zhixu frowned slightly and pursed her lips; she had no desire to get involved in these matters.
The young men and women present secretly glanced at Sui Zhixu, and many people's eyes lit up with amazement.
"What a beautiful lady! Which family does she belong to?"
"I wish His Majesty would arrange a marriage for me."
"Wake up, you're a girl too."
"...Okay, fine."
“...That looks like the head of the Sui family.”
"The head of the Sui family? The head of the Shan Hai Academy and the family head of Jingzhou? I... take my leave!"
"Even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I wouldn't dare to even dream of the daughters of a clan head and a prime minister."
The Prince of Linchuan remained silent. His wife was indeed beautiful, but her family background... He didn't want to go home and be beaten to death by his father.
The Emperor has no son, and many in the court are urging him to adopt a son from a vassal king. How dare they make a move on the Prime Minister's daughter? Are they openly admitting they have designs on her?
He dared not. He only needed to play the part of a spoiled young master, accept the imperial decree of marriage, and then quickly go back home.
But the Crown Prince of Wei doesn't seem to think so. The Crown Prince of Linchuan thinks that he might be a fake playboy, while the Crown Prince is the real one.
"Princess Xuancheng has arrived!" The loud shout pierced through the crowd and reached everyone's ears.
"May the Princess be blessed with boundless happiness and good health!"
"Rise."
The eldest princess looked at the two troublemakers with displeasure. When the crowd caught sight of Sui He and Sui Zhixu who were surrounded, her expression softened considerably, and she beckoned the two of them to come forward.
"You lot are really something, how could you even stop the head of the Sui family? We owe a lot to you all for the strange illness in Jingzhou. Look how much thinner you've become since your trip there, you must have had a lot of worries." The eldest princess held Sui He's hand and exchanged pleasantries.
"Fortunately, Ah Xu handled most of the problems. She's starting to feel like her father now."
The two chatted with smiles for a while, then the princess turned her head away.
"Hurry up and go inside! Don't try to differentiate between you and me! I'll send a letter to your father and have him teach you a lesson about manners!"
"Yes, yes, yes." The Crown Prince of Linchuan pulled the infatuated Crown Prince of Wei away, thinking, "Don't hold me back at a time like this, brother."
The blocked city gates were finally reopened, and the ladies and gentlemen who had been stuck there for half the morning were finally able to get back into the city in their carriages.
“Why is Erlang here too? I was wondering why I didn’t see you when your mother came back the other day. It turns out you ran away with the Sui family’s entourage.”
Chu Shiguan smiled and let the princess tease him.
Sui Zhixu, who was hiding in Fan Lingzhang's place to find some peace and quiet, was completely baffled.
The eldest princess saw that she was still hiding behind Fan Lingzhang after she left, so she didn't say anything.
She originally intended to have her eye on Chu Erlang, but while King Xiang was interested, the goddess was indifferent.
That's enough.
Thinking of Cheng Zhijie and Xu Mingyi, whom she had high hopes for, she felt heartbroken. How could such a good couple suddenly be separated by death?
Life and death are like those of the Emperor and Consort back then.
These two couples were a huge regret for her as a matchmaker; she loved happy, harmonious young couples the most.
"Let's go. I knew you were coming back today, so this welcome-back feast was specially prepared for you. Your Cong Lan is here too. The rest of them are just there to make up the numbers!"
"You must have arranged some kind of marriage. Do you want me to take another look at it for you?"
"As expected of you, you understand me. I'm leaving now."
Su Zhixu was a little dazed from the heat, fanning herself idly with her fan, and leaned close to Sui He to ask in a low voice, "Are there any crispy mountains?"
"Yes, yes, yes, we have everything your young lady likes to eat, including jade dew dumplings and cold noodles," the princess said with a smile.
Xu then decisively waved goodbye to Fan Lingzhang.
Fan Lingzhang: "..."
Well, seeing Chu Shiguan go home, he felt much more at ease.
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